Pathway ambassador plan: 10 e-bikes leased, $1,500 stipends, 8 patrol zones

The Board Staff Report, Questions Pathway Ambassadors answers a practical question that matters for cost control: why lease 10 e-bikes instead of buying them. Staff cites sizing flexibility, lack of off-season storage at Friends of Pathways, and the fact that the $250 per month lease rate (including maintenance) is framed as a steep discount versus local rental pricing.

On staffing, the plan is for 10 volunteer ambassadors to each receive a one-time $1,500 stipend in exchange for at least 168 hours over a six-month May to October season (about 7 hours a week). The report says nine volunteers are retirees, and that the stipend was “essential” for them to commit; participants fill out a W-9 and stipends are paid in late June to meet the June 30 invoicing deadline.

Operationally, ambassadors are slated to rotate through eight areas across town and the county, with heavy emphasis on school start and release times. The list runs from West Jackson and downtown, to Path 22 (the Y to Stilson), Wilson and Teton Village, plus corridors north and south of town. In addition to wayfinding and “best practices” outreach, ambassadors will hand out small rewards (gift cards, bike lights, bells) for courteous behavior and will contact dispatch or law enforcement if they see issues like vehicles on pathways or reckless activity.